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About two years ago, a title was released with all the trappings of a Nintendo classic – voiceless hero, quirky storyline, and a color pallet that went well beyond forest green. As much as fans of Nintendo franchises ranted and raved about this title, no one could play it since Okami originally came out on the PlayStation 2. Immediately, message boards and emails plastered the Internet about how Okami, the quirky adventure game people kept comparing to Zelda, should come out on the Wii like it was fate.

The boards have been long taken down. Gamers adamant about this godly pooch have since moved on. Two years later, however, the prayers of poorly worded posts have finally come true as Okami lands on the Wii. With the formula having remained more or less untouched in its leap to the new system, does Okami still have the legs to carry today’s audience?

Dog Wags the Tale

The story begins simple enough – a brave warrior and the wolf that helps to protect a village from Orochi, an eight-headed dragon.  Admits the fighting, the wolf was gravely wounded and a statue is erected to mark where she died. A century later, the ancestor of that same warrior comes back to reclaim the sword that slew Orochi. Instead, he releases the beast and a host of demons to wreck havoc on the village. Amaterasu, the fallen wolf and goddess in disguise, is called upon to help vanquish the mighty Orochi once again. The scope of Okami goes beyond this tale, however, reaching far more legendary characters and stories centuries old.

Okami follows the adventure formula like an OCD Rachel Ray – that’s not to say that this is a bad thing. The world starts out small and steadily grows along with your abilities. New weapons, items, and brushstrokes become the tools to solve puzzles and defeat uniquely designed bosses. Exploration is rewarded with new items or karma points to boost your stats. While the distance from Point A to Point B may seem daunting; hidden areas, side quests, and animals to feed makes every journey a rewarding one. While the similarities may be striking, specially since Link exposed his furry inner self in Twilight Princess, Okami works as a game that understand the mechanics of Zelda while maintaining its own unique flare.

Z Button on Ze Controller

Beyond the tumbling trails of ink and enough folklore to make Miyazaki take notice, the combat system continues the games streak of inventiveness by combining the brush strokes learned in the game with simple combo-mashing gameplay.  One of three types of weapons can be equipped as a primary or secondary weapon; often changing it’s ability in the process. The prayer beads that act as a whip as a primary weapon become flying golden pellets when placed as a secondary weapon. The versatility of the weapons allows players to switch equipment on the fly. But it’s the weapon that Amaterasu never touches that becomes the most powerful ally in any battle – the brush.

With a press of the B button, the world turns flat and pauses in mid-motion. The ability to stop the action and think about your next brush stroke injects the element of strategy into what would be your typical button-mashing (or in this case, Wii-waggling) moments. A slash can damage, cut, or bring down particular parts of your nemesis. Winds can blow out fires or push away aggressive troops. Even a smudge can blind your opponent long enough to get in a couple of hits. The ability to pull out of a battle, pick your strategy, and jump back in without complications is simply a feat you need to experience. And that’s why the controls for Okami are so important and a bit disappointing on the Wii.

After having played through the PS2 version of Okami, I was already to wreck havoc on the landscape. The first swipe resulted in nothing but an inky blob instead of a forest clearing cut. A second, a third resulted in the same watery Rorschach. More control over what you can paint results in broken lines and loss of accuracy. Someone on the design team knew that this would happen and that’s when they mapped the “Z” button into the game. With a quick push, the bush moves in a straight line from any point you set it on. While not the answer for all the control problems, you’ll mostly find your etchings coming to life – around nine out of ten times.

Where Myth Meets Legend

For fans of the original goddess on four-legs, you’ll more than likely be disappointed by this move to the Wii. The controls, while adequate, don’t maintain that sharp and responsive feel from the original. Taking the brush mechanics to the Wii may have seemed like a stroke of genius, but fall short of expectations. With no new content to speak of beside a wider screen mode, Okami remains the same game from two years ago.

Now for the good news, Okami is the same game from two years ago. Unique and captivating characters await you at every flower laden step. From combat to exploration, every action rewards the player with items, experience, or another breathtaking look at this gorgeous world. While not perfect, Okami is a shining example of style and form colliding in an epic adventure that will keep you glued to your seat and feeding animals for some time to come.  

Review by: Rob Manuel